Filling Up Life's Treasure Box

How many times have you asked yourselves the question “Can I Succeed In My Pursuits? Have you received the level of success that you want or are you still looking for success? May I success that succes can mean many things, and different things to different people. Below is my story about asking the question, “Can I really succeed?” and then an amazing thing happened.

I share my story with you so that you appreciate the power in asking the question and then the affect you have on others lives when you have answered this question. Please share your stories with me as well. Our stories are interesting and inspiring to others who are going through the same process.

People may spend a lifetime in search of mysteries and the secrets of life. Searching for this will only be in vain until we apply correct principles that reward us with peace, especially when life’s storms blow into our lives.

You may identify with many of the things I tell you in this blog about peace. Perhaps you will learn from my mistakes and my successes as well. Knowing what to put in our Life’s Treasure Boxes is one of the most important lessons we learn in life.

A stuffed Treasure Box and a full account in the Love Bank ™ provide the very assets we need to survive challenging times. (See Collossians 2:3 and Matthew 6:19-21 for details.) We will discuss the Love Bank™ in more detail at a later time

The love we have for our family members should be the most precious jewels in our Treasure Boxes. We feel a strong obligation to protect them from drowning in the storms of life. In order to do that, however, our families will need the correct tools to protect themselves.

We try to shelter those we love from exposure to extreme temperatures, and from wind, snow, and rain. We need to be just as responsible in sheltering them from influences that hurt them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually until they are strong enough or old enough to do it for themselves.

Collecting the treasures of honesty, virtues, commitment, discipline, and being in harmony with God are the type of gems we should be putting in our treasure boxes. Doing so is how we survive the onslaught of affliction when life hits us hard, when we fail, when we lose loved ones, or when a disaster comes our way. We must build our lives upon the rock (see Matthew 7:24-27 for details) that keeps us safe from being swept away in a storm. From experience, I know that these are the best assets in withstanding the adversities we face.

Why are these gems an asset in trying times?

These treasures are like the boulders we anchor ourselves to in a storm and keep us from drowning in the torrent. We must hold on tightly, lest we be blown away or crushed by the current.

With experience, we learn that we can handle whatever life throws at us. We know this is true because we have wisely collected the gems that bolster our strength and ability to hold on in life’s storms. We might come out of it with some pretty nasty cuts and bruises, but we will survive with our peace of mind still intact.

Now, more than ever, we need to help family members avoid being pulled into the chaos of a storm or caught in the wake of it as well. The Treasure Box Series helps you feel more secure in your ability to weather the storms that come into your life. You will know what to do to prevent the slightest wind from becoming a tempest.

If you will commit to the principles that protect peace of mind and apply them to your circumstances, you will learn some interesting things about yourself. By so doing, your life will begin to change drastically. However, be aware that those around you who do not want you to change, those who want you to stay in the box they created for you, will do everything they can to discourage you from doing what you need to do. They do that because escaping the box challenges them to change the way they think about you and how they interact with you. Some people hate change so they resist the new person you are becoming. Do not let that dissuade you or prevent you from going after living a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life. You deserve it!

Filling up our Life’s Treasure Boxes with gems of the spirit provides peace of mind when storms of tribulation and chaos beat on our doors. The gems we put in our treasure boxes become our most effective tools in achieving peace, joy, and happiness during hard times.

First-hand, I learned to protect peace in challenging times. For this reason, I developed a better understanding of the fact that life’s harsh lessons may seem unbearable at times. These lessons can deeply stir the soul, even plunge us into despair and chaos. Although it may not seem like it at the time you are suffering, these lessons will be useful when you cultivate it into a better understanding of life.

Make the decision now to do something different than you have been and see what changes in your life. Perhaps you will find the changes beneficial and rewarding. It’s my experience that you will be pleased with the results. Once you learn them, please teach your children and grandchildren these important principles.

We experience peace by contact with nature, in tender moments with each other, and through the senses. This means that we experience peace in relationships with each other, with God, and with the universe. We can also feel, smell, hear, and see peace.

All experiences leave lasting impressions on the heart, mind, spirit, and soul. The following scenarios describe how I experience peace. Perhaps you will relate to some of these experiences as well.

Imagine with me that you are floating on a calm and tranquil sea. You feel totally relaxed. All the tension disappears from your body as a cool, gentle breeze blows against you. There are no distractions. All that is on your mind is the sheer pleasure of peace and the soothing motion of the water. That is how peace feels to me. Perhaps that is how it feels to you?

Imagine with me that you are lying on a quiet sandy beach near the ocean, and the gentle rays from the sun warm your body. You hear waves breaking on the shoreline of your private lagoon, and the sound of seagulls fills the air. That is how peace sounds to me. Perhaps that is how it is with you?

Imagine with me your feelings when you watch a brilliant sunset or you are captivated by a child’s precious sleeping face. These feelings are exactly how peace looks to me. Perhaps that is how it is for you?

Close your eyes and imagine with me that your grandmother is in the kitchen cooking sweet cinnamon rolls. You smell the aroma as it fills the air and works its way upstairs to your bedroom. You smile because you know she has one reserved just for you. As you imagine yourself stuffing a warm homemade roll into your mouth, you relive the memories of all the other times your grandmother made rolls for you as a child. That’s how peace smells to me. Perhaps you have these same types of memories when you think of peace?

Another example of what peace smells like to me is the scent of warmed pine needles resting on the forest floor on a hot summer day, or the smell of Christmas in the crisp winter air of the mountains. I love these smells. They are stimulating to me because they conjure up pleasant memories of peaceful days spent in my mountain home.

Imagine with me a young girl who is lost in the woods. Feeling scared, she kneels down and prays fervently to God for comfort and safety. Now imagine her prayer being answered. The child, while sitting peacefully on a stump, sings songs as she awaits rescue. That’s how peace from God feels to me. Perhaps that is how you feel peace from God as well?

Perhaps you picture a young boy who no longer feels scared after jumping into bed with his parents, as he feels the security of their arms being wrapped around him?

Maybe you picture yourself lying on a blanket in the park and basking in the coolness of the shade. You smell the sweet fragrance of flowers blooming, and feel a gentle breeze blowing through your hair. As you hear the sounds of birds and squirrels in the air, a sigh of peace passes over your lips. You feel the sheer pleasure of it all within your senses, and you catch yourself speaking out loud, yet ever so softly:

“God created this wonderful body so that I can hear the songs of birds and see a brilliant sunset, so that I can smell the sweetness of the blooms, sense the coolness of the shade, and feel the warmth of the sun, and so that I can feel the gentle breeze as it blows past me. Truly this is what peace is, and God meant that I should partake of it, appreciate it, and enjoy!

Thank you, God, for my precious body that you provided me; so that I may enjoy these wondrous pleasures.” Perhaps you feel this same way?

Peace is a condition within the mind and soul that gives us pleasure. It is a condition of our environment when those around us get along with each other. Peace is also a condition when our nation is not at war with another or with its citizens. All of these conditions affect the way we view life and our ability to have the things we want that are important to us.

Whatever we can do to affect the aspects of life that cause us to feel peace is beneficial to us. For this reason, it is wise for us to learn ways for peace to exist in our lives on a more regular basis than we have now. I hope to help you do that by posting blogs relating to the lessons I have learned on this subject. If you have something to add, please share it with us.

An interesting thing happened when I did a grammar check on the next paragraph. The computer came back with the remark, “Peace does not agree with war.” Although I found this statement somewhat amusing, it surprised me that the computer could actually capture the essence of what I wanted to say. The claim that “Peace does not agree with war” could not be truer and emphasizes my point exactly!

Peace cannot exist if war is brewing inside us, brewing in those with whom we associate, or brewing in those living in our communities and other parts of the world. When war is brewing in other parts of the world, we are affected because we a connected to each other and affect each other more than ever before in history. So what they do will eventually affect us in some way.

I read somewhere that being peaceful is an edict given to us from on high (see Psalms 34:14; Romans 12:18; and 1 Timothy 2:2). Peace, meaning freedom from war, has been the hope and desire of most civilized nations throughout the ages, even though it is not easily accomplished. Since its inception, the root of our nation’s aspirations has been to seek and pursue peace, to renounce war, to proclaim peace whenever possible, and to be peaceful with each other. I agree with this assessment.

I realize that it took a war to give Americans our own freedom, and that sometimes we participate in war to protect that freedom. By examining the history of other nations, we realize how special America is in respecting and protecting people’s peace and liberty. In most cases, history documents that we have only engaged in war as a response to attacks on us, to preserve the liberty that we fought to achieve, and to help others gain their liberty and rights (especially when it’s been stolen from them). Unfortunately, it has not always been perceived that way by some of us at home or by people abroad.

Harboring hostilities and being at peace are emotional conditions that cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Trying to be peaceful when we have contention in our hearts affects our physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional health (possibly even economically) if a resolution does not come quickly. Otherwise, something must give way and that is usually peace. A situation such as this eventually erupts when strong emotions are involved, and when families, friends, and neighbors are arguing and fighting. Situations that cause irritation or misunderstandings occur all the time, and some of them cause discord that leaves pent-up hostilities and unresolved issues.

If our true objective is to be more peaceful, then we must do whatever it takes to prevent war in our personal relationships and associations. This is not to suggest that we shouldn’t disagree with someone or that, with proper conviction, we shouldn’t stand up for something that we feel is right or moral! That would be contrary to peace! Peace cannot exist unless we are willing to back it up with our voices, actions, or even sacrifices, if needed. What I suggest is being committed to a peaceful resolution by responding appropriately.

A peaceful resolution does not occur when reacting out of ego and self-will, or when responding with haste, anger, panic, hysteria, fear, and retaliation. If efforts for resolution fail, careful consideration and planning must be exercised before entering into war; it’s really just common sense.

We need to understand what peace is in order to understand how to have more peace in our lives.

Peace is a spiritual condition when we are in harmony with our surroundings and with our Divine Creator as well.

Peace is a person who is peaceful, serene, tranquil, and calm.

Peace is a place or event that is peaceful, serene, tranquil, and calm.

Peace is a nation that is not at war. However, peace cannot exist when a nation’s citizenry has discord among themselves and their leaders.

A Peaceful Spirit

We create a peaceful spirit by being in alignment with Deity, and by having a strong desire for peace. We also create a peaceful spirit when we are free of conflict within ourselves, with each other, with a physical or spiritual enemy, and avoid creating strife and hostility around us.

We help create a peaceful spirit by our surroundings. For instance, I use pictures and music to create a peaceful spirit in me. Below are pictures is use to make me more peaceful.

We need to become more aware of the Smooth Stones that show up in life and help us overcome difficulties.

Smooth Stones are sometimes hard to recognize because they come in different ways. They can be found in a commercial, in a movie, in a story, or even in a joke. They are seen in a highway bill board or in a scenic view. Smooth Stones are all around us but we may not recognize them at first.

Smooth Stones are found in things that we see or in thoughts we have had but did not understand until someone put them into words that we can comprehend. At times, Smooth Stones come from people the Spirit uses to guide us. Smooth Stones also help us understand what promotes peace in our particular situations.

One of the greatest lessons we will ever learn is that enduring hardships, disappointments, adversities, and afflictions is necessary to learn and advance in our understanding.

Regardless of circumstances, it is within our ability to find peace during trials if we know how to go about it, and if we are ready to make that commitment.

In order to protect peace and our peace of mind, we need to understand what principles need to be complied with before this blessing can exist in our lives on a regular basis. The goal of the blog is to help satisfy this objective.

We have to accept that we cannot always control the way life comes at us but we can control how we respond to it. We can throw up our arms and say, “Oh well, I can’t do anything about it anyway so I will just react like I always do.” Or we can choose to look for an alternative to the way we usually react that will protect peace and peace of mind. This is called learning to respond appropriately to situations. Responding appropriately to situations is something we learn through education, training, and experience.

We have to decide to change the way we currently respond to a stressful or difficult situation so we no longer react in default. Reacting in default means we react the same way every time something happens without thinking about it.

We need to think about an appropriate response before a situation happens so that we know an alternative way to respond. We may screw up and react anyway, but thinking about it first gives us an opportunity to recognize what we’ve done and perhaps change the response next time a situation occurs.

Smooth Stones are useful tools in helping us change the way we respond and in seeing a different way to handle a situation. They become an essential part in changing our habits and responses so we can become a happier person. That means we have to start paying attention to what is happening around us so we can recognize the Smooth Stones in front of us to use in current trials.

Do we want to be in control of our own happiness or allow life to push us around? This ability is in how we view adversity and challenges and how we deal with them. Perhaps just thinking about this will open the windows of the mind and help us start seeing alternatives.

Whatever the case may be for you, I will be happy to answer your questions. Please don’t hesitate to ask for my help with this. I am always happy to assist you in taking more control of your responses instead of reacting in default.

If you have come to this site in hope of finding something different, I believe you can find what you want and need right here to make your life seem more meaningful.

I say this because, several years ago, I was on a quest to find more peace, joy, and happiness in my life. As a result, I learned the principles that make me a happier person. In addition, I learned to change the way I look at things that stress me in life. Now I no longer react to those challenges and respond to them in a much different way than I used to. Things just don’t get to me any more.

Life is way too short to waste it on things that don’t really matter in the big scheme of things. Letting things go that don’t matter leaves room for things that do matter. The problem is that too many people don’t know what matters. Instead, they respond to challenges out of anger or ego whenever something happens that disagrees with what they think is important. As a result, they respond the same way they always do when something happens to them; the response is as if it is in default or on auto pilot.

I learned that I do not have to live my life in default or on auto pilot. I can change the way I look at a situation and see a different alternative than the way I used to respond. In other words, if I continue to do what I’ve always done, nothing is going to change for me. It wasn’t until I actually stopped reacting and listened to my inner spirit, that I changed my situation. By not doing what seemed right and doing what was right, the outcome changed and so did my destiny.

The point is that we can change the tape playing inside our minds that tell us to react a specific way when we become angry or stressed. Once we understand where our reaction originates, usually from ego or passon, then we see our situation in a different light. Reacting in default (meaning reacting the way we have always done), creates chaos, contention, misunderstandings, and negative results. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. It is a choice to see another alternative that may provide us better results than reacting in the usual manner.

Again, “let me ask: Who am I”?

I am a person who has learned to change the way I see life and the stresses that affect how I react or respond to them. I am a calmer and happier person now. Of course, I don’t always respond to life perfectly because I am a human being with ego and passions. However, I make right choices a lot more often than I make wrong choices in my responses. I am grateful for the person I have become and for life’s lessons that taught me to change.

You too can change the way you see life’s stresses and how you respond to them. I am nobody special, I’m just like you. If I can change then so can you. And, if I am different from you, it’s only because I made the effort to change.

Feel free to write and tell me about some of the things you have done to change the way you respond and to have more peace in your life. If you are having difficulty in making the changes you need to make, feel free to read my book “The Treasure Box Series, Volume I: Peace, Joy, and Happiness.” The book is a compilation of the lessons that life taught me through the years about meeting the challenges that affect peace of mind and happiness. I wrote down these lessons so you may benefit from my mistakes and accomplishments.

As Oprah Winfrey said one time, “When we know better we do better.” This statement is so true. Once we change, we teach others around us to respond differently to their challenges as well. We not only change ourselves, we change others too. This is a great blessing.

Another important lesson I learned is that the universe will continue to serve up the lessons we need to learn until we finally get the message and change. We can resist changing, but then life will only become harsher in order to gain our attention. We can be stubborn about it and not change, but that means we deny ourselves the blessings we can have if we just accept the principles that create peace in our lives.

In conclusion, let me say for a fact that I learned it is not wise to be in conflict with God and the universe. We can choose to be happy by accepting the principles that create peace or we can choose to be miserable by resisting them and not changing. What choice will you make? As for me, I chose to be a happier and more peaceful person.

About This Site

The Treasure Box Series is about my experiences and the treasures I gained from them.

After 9/11, I embarked on a quest to find peace of mind and to learn how to deal with specific trials I was having at that time.

I’ve learned a lot about “Chaos”, “Peace of Mind”, “Joy”, and “Happiness”. Also, I learned about responding to situations appropriately instead of reacting in default or out of frustration and emotions.

Today, I make much better choices than ten years ago, not only in the way I respond to situations but how I live my life today. I live a happier and fuller life because of what changes I have made in my life.

Perhaps you will consider my lessons as you ponder on your own situation. It may be that something I say will ring a bell of truth and help you change your life as well. That would be pleasing to me and I would love to hear about it.